title: Mitral valve prolapse: cardiac arrest with long-term survival.
abstract: Cardiac arrest has been reported in patients with mitral valve prolapse; however, clinical characteristics and survival information are limited since most of the cases reported include autopsy data. Nine patients (2 male, 7 female) with mitral valve prolapse were identified who had cardiac arrest; ventricular fibrillation was documented in 8 patients; resuscitation was unsuccessful in 2. Eight had a history of palpitations (months to 15 years duration) and ventricular arrhythmias, 3 had a history (5-15 years) of recurrent syncope, and 1 was totally asymptomatic. Cardiac catheterization-angiographic studies in 8 patients demonstrated normal coronary artery anatomy and mitral valve prolapse. All 9 patients had auscultatory and echocardiographic evidence of mitral valve prolapse. Seven survivors (6 still alive) were followed from 3 to 14 years after cardiac arrest. A subset of patients with mitral valve prolapse and cardiac arrest is described in whom past medical history is compatible with cardiac arrhythmias or syncope, and whose long-term prognosis appears better than patients with other causes of cardiac arrest.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Boudoulas
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Schaal
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Stang
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Fontana
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Kolibash
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Wooley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008945:Mitral Valve Prolapse / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011379:Prognosis